September 15, 2009

Now look here. It was a dick move by Kanye, no question — the farcical situation and meaninglessness of the award itself notwithstanding, the look on Taylor Swift’s face as he bratted out for the 15,000th time seemed to be legitimately heartbreaking. (Leno: “When did you know you were wrong?” Kanye: “As soon as I gave the mic back to her and she didn’t keep going.”) But I say “seemed to be” because it turns out that was nothing, nothing at all, compared to Kanye’s reaction when Jay Leno, Mr. Comedy At 10 O’Clock, evokes Kanye’s dead mother to shame him. Get the fuck out of here. It was the MTV Video Music Awards. Hosted by Russell Banks Brand. Featuring Lady Gaga. The en-masse-social-media-overreaction-turned-cavalcade-of-racist-dipshits we spent all yesterday putting up with has led to this, a harmlessly petulant rapper publicly forced to give Leno another Hugh Grant moment. Terrible terrible terrible terrible terrible. “You ready to sing?” Jay bleats, and Kanye shrugs, utterly defeated, and then Rihanna, of all fucking people, starts up Jay-Z’s “Run This Town,” her mere presence reminding us all of what a ludicrous and inconsequential controversy this has been. May this bullshit Leno show go the way of The Magic Hour.